AFI Changemakers at the UN and Geneva Peace Week: A Report on the Potential for Peace in Syria

A Report on the Potential for Peace in Syria

AFI Changemakers at the 3rd Annual Geneva Peace

AFI aCt hangemakers aations, t the 3rd Annual Geneva P eace Week t he U nited N N ovember 2 016

Week at the United Nations, November 2016

Marcelina Kieskiewicz Frances Neilson

Acknowledgements © Ariel Foundation International 2017

Report written by Marcelina Kieskiewicz and Frances Neilson and edited by Sarah Perchikoff Images provided by Marcelina Kieskiewicz and Frances Neilson As delegates for the Ariel Foundation International Changemakers, we had the opportunity not only to attend all Geneva Peace Week events, but to also sit in on several Universal Periodic Review (UPR) sessions in the Human Rights Council. We would like to thank Dr. Ariel Rosita King for making this possible, as this was a truly special experience.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements… pg. 2

Introduction… pg.4

Syria at Geneva Peace Week 2016… pg.6

Syria at the 26th UPR Session… pg. 8

The Syrian Conflict as a Youth Concern… pg. 9

Recommendations… pg. 12

Conclusion… pg. 13

Biographies… pg. 14

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Introduction The Geneva Peace Week is a platform that for the third year brought together key peace-­‐‑building actors and institutions to discuss current challenges that we face in the International Community. The main institutions that organised the event were: The Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP), of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies; the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP); Interpeace; and the Quaker United Nations Office, Geneva (QUNO).

In the space of five days, 52 events were organized in order to discuss interagency solutions and policy advice in order to build safer and just world.

The agenda and the structure of the conference included a diversity of topics but primarily focused on the most compelling issues. Prominent actors and members of key institutions discussed past conflicts and their failures and successes in the reconciliation (i.e. Columbia). Additionally, they discussed current challenges faced by the international community (i.e. Syria) and their vision and solutions to create and sustain a peaceful world based on mutual cooperation.

Simultaneously, we have been delegates of the 26th Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council, which is a mechanism that aims at improving human rights situations in every UN country. Every 5 years, one country is reviewed, while the rest of the international community gives their human rights recommendations to that country. The process is entirely volunteer-­‐‑based and no country is legally obligated to accept the recommendations. This autumn the

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Syrian Arabic Republic has been under review for the second time since the start of the conflict there.

This report will focus in detail on the conflict in Syria and will present the current policy approach of the UN towards the possible peace and reconciliation process. We chose to focus on this conflict in particular, as we believe it is the most urgent and complex challenge currently facing the international community.

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Syria at Geneva Peace Week 2016 This report is largely based on the resolutions that followed the 26th UPR of the Syrian Republic and a Geneva Peace Week event that was held on Wednesday 9th November 2016, at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva. The event was titled ‘Exits from War Economies: What Lessons for Peacebuilding in Syria?’ and involved various speakers from academic fields, international organisations as well as those who were government representatives. Speakers whose contributions are drawn upon in this report are: o Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj, co-­‐‑founder of the Syria Initiative of the Common Space Initiative o Professor David Keen, Professor of Complex Emergencies at the London School of Economics o Tuesday Reitano, Head of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, Geneva o Dr. Rim Turkmani, Research Fellow at the London School of Economics o Dr. Andrew Ladley, Senior Advisor at Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Geneva o Alexandre Marc, Chief Specialist, Fragility, Conflict and Violence at the World Bank, Washington D.C. o Salvatore Pedulla, Senior Political Affairs Officer at the United Nations Office for Special Envoy for Syria, Geneva The event focused on the economic aspects of the Syrian conflict. The topics included the importance of economics to the creation, maintenance and continuation of the conflict and the potential for a peaceful resolution.

All of the speakers agreed that the economy was not the driving force of the

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conflict, but once violence erupted, Syria very quickly became divided among economic lines; with those most loyal to the Assad Regime being those who had benefitted most from government spending and political patronage. It was also mentioned that the areas of Syria in which ISIS is thriving are areas that, prior to conflict breaking out in 2011, were developmentally deprived. 1

It was also observed that currently, the main actors of the conflict have very few incentives for peace2 as the war is benefitting their economic interests.

Therefore, the Syrian conflict is benefitting those with power, while the vast majority of violence is being committed against civilians rather than the named enemy of ISIS.3

The international community response should; therefore, be focused on a humanitarian response for civilians, as those benefitting from the war have very little interest in peace, and a peace process at this time may not be possible.

1 Hallaj, Omar Abdulaziz: Geneva Peace Week Event Public Lecture [09/11/16] 2 Keen, David: Geneva Peace Week Event Public Lecture [09/11/16] 3 Keen, David: Geneva Peace Week Event Public Lecture [09/11/16]

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Syria at the 26th UPR Session The second human rights review of the Syrian Republic was held in November 2016 and highlighted a dramatic decrease, or rather, a fatal absence of any human rights in the war-­‐‑torn country. All UN member states proposed extensive human rights recommendations to the Syrian regime. Most of them appealed to the regime to stop using chemical weapons, torture and violence against its civilians, and allow humanitarian access inside the besieged areas. 4 The representatives of the states urged the Syrian regime to follow and oblige their international commitments and respect the human rights law. Nevertheless, the recommendations haven’t been met with enthusiasm from the Syrian regime. Its representative urged countries to vote against it and called it sinful. He believed that it “aimed to prolong the terrorist war on Syria and undermine any prospect for a political solution.”5 He argued that some parts of the resolution politicised human rights.

4 http://reliefweb.int/report/world/third-­‐‑committee-­‐‑approves-­‐‑5-­‐‑draft-­‐‑ resolutions-­‐‑situations-­‐‑syria-­‐‑iran-­‐‑crimea-­‐‑introduces-­‐‑5 5 Ibid.

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The Syrian Conflict as a Youth Concern The Syrian conflict is one of the largest humanitarian crises the world has faced since the end of the Second World War.6 Since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, almost two million Syrian refugees have claimed asylum in Europe.7 The growing numbers of displaced individuals that are seeking refuge in Europe is a result of over-­‐‑crowding and increasing poverty in Syria’s neighbouring countries, as well as a lack of a clear and united strategy by the international community.

Turkey is host to 2.5 million refugees, Jordan 635,000, Iraq almost 4 million, while Lebanon 1.1 million – meaning almost 20% of its population are refugees.8 Syria’s neighbouring countries face many challenges, as prolonged destabilization of the region has increasingly had a negative impact on these countries’ economies and the lack of a clear global strategy towards resettlement of refugees further burdens host countries. The European community has since begun to recognize the scope of the humanitarian crisis and, with Germany at the forefront of the effort, European countries have started to host Syrian refugees. 9

Nevertheless, given the slow response of the state actors towards the refugee question, many young people organised their own response to the crisis. At many universities, packages of clothing for refugees were donated. From Calais

6 https://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/aid/countries/factsheets/syria_en.pdf [Accessed: 11/11/16] 7 https://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/asylum.php [Accessed: 11/11/16] 8 https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/02/syrias-­‐‑refugee-­‐‑crisis-­‐‑in-­‐‑numbers/

[Accessed: 11/11/16] 9 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/08/germany-­‐‑on-­‐‑course-­‐‑to-­‐‑accept-­‐‑one-­‐‑ million-­‐‑refugees-­‐‑in-­‐‑2015 [Accessed: 11/11/16]

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to Greece, young people were actively engaged in humanitarian appeals, as well as, in integration processes for those refugees successfully granted asylum.

However, the Syrian refugee crisis has negatively dominated the news cycles.

The arrival of refugees on European shores in August 2015 became controversial and divided public opinion. This has been most keenly observed in the rise of far-­‐‑ right, populist, anti-­‐‑immigration parties and movements, violations of Schengen policy,10 and the domination of immigration discourse during the June 2016 ‘Brexit’ referendum in the UK.11 The question of Syrian refugees has not only impacted European policy and media cycles, it has also become a topic of the 2016 US Presidential elections. The newly elected President, Mr Donald Trump, campaigned on the promise that ‘if I win, they’re [Syrian refugees] going back [to Syria].12 The Syrian humanitarian crisis is; therefore, a global problem, and we as youth are responsible to uphold and fight for human rights and dignity for all forced migrants.

We believe that conflict in Syria is particularly pertinent to young people everywhere. Millions of children are missing out on education and the chance to grow up in a safe environment. Young refugees are at risk for exploitation, whether into the sex trade, to fight as child soldiers, or forced to work in order to help feed their families.13 Astonishingly, over 50% of all refugees are young

10 http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/03/hungary-­‐‑border-­‐‑war-­‐‑refugees-­‐‑

160329102030588.html [Accessed: 11/11/16] 11 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/19/eu-­‐‑referendum-­‐‑campaigning-­‐‑resumes-­‐‑as-­‐‑ jeremy-­‐‑corbyn-­‐‑and-­‐‑michael-­‐‑g2/ [Accessed: 11/11/16] 12 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-­‐‑us-­‐‑canada-­‐‑34397272 [Accessed: 11/11/16] 13 Stern, Carol, M. (2015) ‘It’s Time to Step Up and Help the Children of Syria’ Brown Journal of World Affairs, vol. 22, No. 1, pp.306

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people.14

Furthermore, all Syrians that have stayed in Syria are in a grave danger of death and illness. Hospitals are getting bombed and food, water and electricity are becoming scarcities. Recent events in Aleppo15 have shown us that the crisis is deepening and the UN has not found a long lasting stable solution for the crisis.

Countless people have been killed in bombings, children have been burnt as a religious sacrifice and women have been raped by the Syrian Army, while others committed suicide in the fear of being hurt.

Experts have also predicted that the conflict will continue for at least the next 10 years,16 and it will take more than 40 years to restore Syria to the pre-­‐‑war development levels.17 Therefore, Syria is not just a current challenge, but it is a challenge that will occupy the global agenda for many years to come.

Available from: http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=385d32c3-­‐‑9d56-­‐‑ 4130-­‐‑88e1-­‐‑adfdde52202c%40sessionmgr107&vid=5&hid=113 [Accessed: 11/11/16] 14 http://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2016/6/5763b65a4/global-­‐‑forced-­‐‑displacement-­‐‑hits-­‐‑ record-­‐‑high.html [Accessed: 11/11/16] 15 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-­‐‑middle-­‐‑east-­‐‑38306862 [Accessed 14/12/16] 16 http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/08/11/magazine/isis-­‐‑middle-­‐‑east-­‐‑arab-­‐‑spring-­‐‑ fractured-­‐‑lands.html?_r=0 [Accessed: 11/11/16] 17 Hallaj, Omar Abdulaziz: Geneva Peace Week Event Public Lecture [09/11/16]

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Recommendations 1. Despite the recommendations of the UPR, the process is not law binding and recommendations do not have to be adopted. This should be changed 2. International cooperation to end the war – force Russia and US to cooperate through use of sanctions, for example 3. Establishment of War Trials: Syrian Army, Rebel forces, ISIS, Assad must all face their war crimes, justice must be served for the reconciliation process to begin 4. UN countries should share the amount of refugees according to wealth and population of the country. When the war ceases, UN member states shall take an active part in rebuilding Syria and make sure refugees can go back to their homes.

5. Establishment of in-­‐‑country processing of refugees-­‐‑ not just for those in refugee camps-­‐‑ to deter refugees from making dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean and Europe, especially for children.

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Conclusions In conclusion, the Syrian war is one of the most pressing concerns facing the international community today. The effects of the war have been felt across the globe through refugee flows, Cold War style aggressive politics between the US and Russia, and terrorist attacks by ISIS on Western territories. No matter what way the Syrian war is framed, as a civil war, a proxy war, or a sectarian war, it is first and foremost a humanitarian crisis. Even if the war cannot be solved imminently—and as this report has suggested, due to economic incentives, an end to the war does not seem likely in the near future— the international community must address the extensive humanitarian needs of the war.

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Biographies Frances Neilson, 21

Frances is in her final year at Queen’s University Belfast studying Politics and hopes to study for a Masters in International Development. Her particular interests are conflict resolution, women’s rights, girl’s rights, particularly in education, and development of infrastructure and improved access for emergency situations. She has taught these interests in a primary school in rural Uganda for three months, has researched knowledge of malaria and methods for the prevention; partook in community projects in rural Ghana; and participated in a university exchange program with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, focused on civil rights movements in the USA and Northern Ireland.

Marcelina Kieskiewicz, 23

Marcelina is a Goldsmiths graduate in International Politics and Philosophy. She has field experience in the Middle East and a commitment to social justice issues.

Her studies have given her a detailed knowledge of both social sciences and producing quality research. She currently works in the non-­‐‑profit sector, providing support for refugees with housing, education and immigration. She is also a volunteer at the United Trade Union, Hotel Workers Branch; she translates from English to Polish, assists with research, and organises hotel workers in the union.

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© Copyright Ariel Foundation International 2017

ISBN: 978-­‐‑0-­‐‑9980092-­‐‑8-­‐‑5

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